19 Social Media Best Practices For Faster Growth

Peer networking builds a supportive ecosystem where everyone grows together. Embrace networking as a way to grow your professional circle, not just a job-hunting tool. Consider someone who casually kept in touch with a former colleague. A year later, that colleague connected them to a role they weren’t even looking for.

Try Shopify for free, and explore all the tools you need to start, run, and grow your business. Introduce yourself, repeat names to remember them, ask questions, actively listen, and know when to move on and meet others. Alicia Scott used determination and networking to establish Range Beauty, a plant-based makeup brand for reactive skin. She capitalizes on TikTok for influencer collaborations and customer engagement, boosting her brand’s visibility. Do your best to remember people’s names when you meet them.

• In return, you may attract like-minded individuals for your network.
• Follow up and track networking efforts to refine your strategy.
• Traditional networking advice will talk about the torture of small talk and how you should do your best to avoid mindlessly chatting about the weather or the event itself.

But there’s a skill to it, and getting it right could be the difference between a missed opportunity and a valuable connection that takes your career to the next level. It’s okay to have an opinion but it’s important to focus on being positive and stay professional. When discussing sensitive or controversial topics, make sure your approach is respectful and constructive.

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These platforms let you participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your expertise. Save time managing your social media marketing strategy with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage the audience, measure results, and more. B2B social media is all about relationship building and lead generation. Gated content like research reports can help you capture leads and grow your email list.

Christina Newberry has been writing about digital marketing since the prehistoric days of 2002, when email opt-ins were every marketer’s biggest goal. With a deep understanding of how to connect to online audiences, she shifted her focus to social media and has been contributing to the Hootsuite blog since 2016. Educational posts written from lived experience perform better than generic brand messaging. Don’t forget to stay involved in the conversation, too — that’s another key signal that gained importance in the latest round of algorithm updates.

Over time, though, I’ve learned that networking doesn’t have to feel like that. At its core, it’s about making meaningful connections, sharing knowledge, and helping each other out. It’s not just about what you can get, but what you can give, too. Find more best practices for social media customer service in our detailed post on the best tips and tools for social media customer service.

Rather than trying to be active everywhere, pick platforms with engaged audiences that best align with your industry and networking goals. A diverse professional network leads to new opportunities, so pursue chances to network with all kinds of people. You might network with potential customers, employees, collaborators, or even business partners. All you need is one commonality to open the door to opportunity. They wouldn’t be known as social networks if they weren’t good for networking. And unlike email, it’s much easier to get in touch with people via social media.

Virtual networking is just as important as asiatalks meeting people in person and sometimes more accessible. With remote work and online communities, you can connect with professionals around the world without worrying about geography or time zones. Here’s how to make the most of your digital interactions.

Knowing who they are, what they want, and how they spend their time on social platforms has never been more important. Your social media accounts should tell the story of you that you want employers and others to see. Google your own name on a regular basis to make sure that that information out there is accurate. If you find incorrect information online, request that the website update it or take it down. newlineFind local and online events— Connect with your community, get wellness tips, or volunteer. Our AI-powered influencer marketing tools help you build creator campaigns based on the topics your audience engages with most.

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The first step is recognizing just how important your follow up is. Remember, networking is about relationships—not just introductions. And, relationships require some work and effort on your part. Networking is about building a relationship—which means it isn’t just an opportunity for you to talk all about yourself. Looking for an easy—and low-pressure—way to get the conversation rolling? Consider asking something like, “Have you been to this event before?

But, I promise, it really doesn’t have to be so anxiety-inducing. Not only is that super personal, but it also gives them something to respond to beyond you just telling them that you enjoyed meeting. Once again, your goal in sending a follow-up message is to encourage the development of a continued relationship—which means you probably want a response. By the way, it’s smart to jot down some notes immediately after meeting someone so that you can return to those tidbits when reconnecting. Needing to march up to a group of people in order to insert yourself into their conversation. Here are a few key things to remember when it’s actually time to put out your hand, smile, and introduce yourself.

And these aren’t shabby responses – customers served this way have a 96% satisfaction score. You may have a customer service number and email, but more than half of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a company that offers customer service through chat. According to Hootsuite’s 2026 Social Media Trends report, 79% of social media managers now use AI daily to brainstorm, create, and refine content.

As a public forum social media platform, X remains one of the best places for building professional networks. Always consider your audience before attending an event or pursuing valuable connections. If you’d like to meet Instagram influencers, for example, you might want to attend an InstaMeet near you. Once you’ve identified and planned out those networking basics, it’s time to polish how you show up online.

Implement them to turn those acquaintances you just met into professional contacts that you can rely on. It’s tempting to put a lot of pressure on yourself to approach everybody, but the old adage about focusing on quality over quantity really applies here. “Make sure you bring plenty of business cards,” warns Heidi McBain, MA, LMFT, LPC, RPT. While it’s important not to rush through conversations for this reason, there are times when we need to jump ship. Your approach to getting what you want from networking isn’t all that different, except it’s important to express your flexibility.

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The more you contribute, the more you’ll stand out and attract the right connections. However, online networking is a skill—and like any skill, it takes practice. Networking used to mean showing up in-person– at conferences, industry events, lunches, and dinners. To get in front of the right people often required taking big chunks out of your day, even week. If you really want to create a connection with someone, especially if they can do more for you than you can for them, be accommodating and aware of the value of their time. Now you know the basics and importance of networking, here are some more in-depth networking tips to guide your approach.

Follow up and track networking efforts to refine your strategy. Go beyond the traditional social media platforms like LinkedIn and explore other informal networking channels. Meetup traditionally promoted in-person gatherings but is now touting online opportunities. There are many groups focused on remote workers, specific industries and business segments, and groups that focus on social good and other interests. Think about the personal relationships you already have in your life—how long did it take to build those connections?

For over eight years Amir has counted on our learning platform whether he needs proven methods to learn new technologies or the latest management tips. Addison always appreciated O’Reilly books, but the learning platform helped take her skills to the next level. Be forewarned that any ol’ follow up won’t do the trick. Stay away from the auto-filled form messages and generic language in favor of something a little more personal.

The attraction of being your own boss, making your own decisions, and acting on your own ideas are all common motivating factors behind starting and running a business. Sharing your own insights — lessons learned, industry trends, or useful resources — also helps establish you as someone worth knowing. For more ideas, download our “Professional Check-In Email Templates” to make reconnecting even easier. Ensure customers still have a way to reach your human team for more complex inquiries, too. Brands get more love with timely outbound comments, according to our Hootsuite Social Media Trends Report 2025. For instance, search “how to propagate pineapple” on Instagram, and one of the very top results is from July 2022.

There’s already some trust and shared experience there, which makes reconnecting much easier. As AI evolves, chatbots can move beyond simple FAQ-style responses to provide fast, personalized service 24/7. We tend to think AI customer service won’t be as good as speaking to a human.